


Fallout

by HyperKid



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Beau is hella pissed, Caleb gives no fucks, Clearing the air, Drama, Empire Kids, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I also give no fucks, Mentions of Iron Shepherds, Multi, Other, Tension, Trauma, but I will make them, cuddle puddle, in this house we post first drafts, so many spoilers, someone’s gotta tell Yeza, spoilers for 55, spoilers for 56, they’re never gonna fucking talk about it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-12-26 03:40:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18275024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyperKid/pseuds/HyperKid
Summary: Fall out from what happened at the end of episode 56. Beau and Caleb have some words for each other once they’re all alone, half of them four letters long.





	Fallout

**Author's Note:**

> HK: It’s still technically Thursday on the west coast and they didn’t do an episode this week SO THIS IS CANON NOW DAMMIT! They can resume from the cuddle pile next Thursday.   
> Mollymauk: Somehow I doubt they’re going to see it the same way.   
> HK: That’s okay I doubt they’ll see it at all. I will be taking bets on whether Marisha will use my Beau swears though.   
> Mollymauk: She has so many swears to choose from. 
> 
> WARNINGS!! Angst, yelling, Caleb is dramatic but less dramatic than whatshisfuck Lythier, who is far too extra to live 
> 
> Disclaimer: I now have TWOOOOOO Critical Role hoodies from RedBubble and that is the most I own

There was a long moment of silence when they were finally alone again. Everything got... crowded, in the Bright Queen’s hall. The dodecahedron was gone, swept away on a tide of gasping and reverence. Not all of the suspicion on the Nein faded, not with Lythier still around, but no one seemed willing to question it. 

 

The hall they were brought to was grander even than the antechamber where they first awaited audience had been, plush with soft silver cushions and pillows and couches. There were seven, seven actual bedrooms leading off it, each resplendent in silvers and greys. 

 

None of the Nein had done more than glance at them. 

 

Beau was the one to break the silence, turning to face Caleb. 

 

“What the sweet cunting fuck, Widogast.” 

 

The wizard flinched a little, drawing in on himself but meeting her gaze resolutely. 

 

“We are not in a cell, are we?” 

 

“That is not the point!” Beau yelled, tossing her hands into the air. “We don’t know what that thing is! We don’t know what that thing does! And YEZA is still in the damn cells!” 

 

“We’d have been a step closer to findin’ him,” Fjord added, shifting a little uncomfortably. Caleb twisted until he was facing both of them, shoulders rising defensively. 

 

“We do not know that! We do not know we would not have been executed on the spot! Or that we are even in the same city Yeza is in! We know literally nothing except that we were exposed as spies and traitors in a time of war!” 

 

Jester squirmed, obviously uncomfortable with the conflict as her fingers twisted the straps of the haversack. 

 

“Caleb is right you know... and that guy knew all about us. He knew what magic we used and how we fought, I don’t think they’d have let me keep my symbol.” She glanced to Caduceus for support and the large firbolg gave her a placid smile. 

 

“You’re probably right,” he agreed calmly. “They know how to handle prisoners with unusual skills or they wouldn’t be keeping Yeza in the first place.” 

 

Jester turned back to the others and nodded, her chin rising a little with the reassurance. 

 

“And we don’t know they’d have kept us together. We could all have been lost or scattered to different cities and we wouldn’t know where anyone was!” Her grip on the straps tightened, knuckles showing white through her gloves. Abruptly she hunched in on herself, her voice a little whisper. “I don’t want to lose you guys again.” 

 

Another uncomfortable silence settled briefly, Beau still glaring at Caleb, Caleb glaring at Beau and Fjord. A little confused, Caduceus slipped an arm around Jester. 

 

“There there. We’re all together now, and we’re going to be okay.” 

 

“So long as we never go back to the Empire,” Fjord muttered, folding his arms and leaning back against the wall. 

 

Nott cleared her throat, shifting towards the middle of the room. 

 

“And... I think we’re in a pretty good position to at least have them release Yeza?” She offered about half as a joke. Unwilling to accept the peace offering, Beau snorted and turned away from her. 

 

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Nott, but ~someone~ just gave away our bargaining chip.” She shot another scowl at Caleb over her shoulder. 

 

“Beauregard.” There wasn’t any matching venom in Caleb’s voice, and it drew Beau reluctantly back around to face him again. She made a show of dragging her feet, folding her arms and glaring at him. 

 

“Caleb.” Her tone was heavy with mockery, but Caleb ignored it, taking a step closer. 

 

“We all almost died today.” He raised a hand to forestall her comment, his voice low and intense. “Some of you by my hand. It has... given me a lot to think about.” 

 

An uneasy tension ratcheted up, the nonhumans exchanging glances around the room. Neither of the Empire kids seemed to notice. 

 

“And when we came back to the city, I climbed out of that well and you and Jester were gone.” It wasn’t quite accusation in his tone, not really. He held her gaze with his, almost wishing he could force her to understand. “I looked for you, and you were gone. And no one knew where or if you had been taken.” 

 

On the last word Beau’s eyes widened, meaning beginning to sink through. Caleb pressed on quickly, unwilling to let the moment go. 

 

“And I knew in that moment, that no matter what else has happened between us, no matter what I have done, I would do anything to get you back. I would not allow you to be captured, taken, tortured,” the list came out in an increasingly sharp staccato, Jester noticeably flinching with each word. Fjord’s mouth slowly opened into an o of understanding, then drew into a grimace. Yasha didn’t move, but her fingernails began digging into her arms where they crossed, a slow trail of blood beginning to drip down. Caleb ignored both. “While I still had breath in my body. Not while you would still have me.” 

 

He paused to draw breath, his hands shaking. Finally the weight of the eye contact became too much and he looked away, gaze shifting down to a corner of the room. 

 

“So I was not about to give you to be tortured in some dynasty dungeon if there was anything I could do to prevent it.” 

 

No one spoke for a long moment. This time it was Caduceus who broke the silence. 

 

“Wait, is this about the Iron Shepherds?” He looked around the room quizzically as Jester burst into tears. Still confused, he bundled her carefully into his lap and began rocking her gently. 

 

All the fight drained out of Beauregard as she watched Jester cry, fists dropping to her sides as her shoulders slumped. She leaned a little to the side, trying to catch Caleb’s eye again. 

 

“Caleb... I’m sorry. I didn’t even think...” 

 

“I know you didn’t,” Caleb said quickly, glancing in her direction and then away again, wrapping his arms around himself. Without someone to butt heads with, the shaking was beginning to get worse. He had to hold himself together. 

 

Abruptly Yasha stepped forward, putting a hand on Caleb’s shoulder to spin him into her arms. 

 

“Thank you,” she said softly, but still audible over Jester’s muffled sobs. For a moment Caleb stiffened before letting himself relax into her. 

 

“I cannot lose you again,” he confessed in an equally gentle tone, his arms rising slowly to wrap around her. Over his head, Yasha gave Beau a pointed look. 

 

“We’re all here,” she said gently, her gaze sweeping over the others in the room. “All safe, for now.” 

 

“It’s not the worst that coulda happened,” Fjord agreed reluctantly, unfolding his arms and straightening to make his way across the room to the cleric couch. On his way past he gave Beau a nudge, guiding her along with him. They were getting to be old hands at this now. 

 

Nott paused only long enough to glance at Caleb before climbing onto the couch and Caduceus’ knees, tucking Jester between her and the firbolg’s chest. Beau was about to sit and squash in behind her when she paused, glanced back at Fjord, and waved him down instead. 

 

“Go on.” 

 

A little surprised, Fjord sat and slipped an arm around Caduceus, then glanced back up at Beau. A crooked little half smile slid across his lips and he patted his lap. 

 

“Room enough on here if you wanna stay close.” 

 

Beau hesitated for another moment, glancing between his lap and the end of the couch. 

 

“Is that gonna work for you? I don’t want you out on the edge,” she added quickly, eyes narrowing in a reflexive glare. The jutting of her lip came out more pouty than angry and Fjord did his best not to grin. 

 

“Gonna protect me?” He teased, wincing when Beau punched him. 

 

“That’s the plan, asshole,” she growled and dropped herself into his lap. She still wasn’t exactly great at doing the cuddling herself but her arm slid up under Fjord’s and around him as his other arm wrapped around her shoulders. Jester leaned back a little into their combined weights, her tail wrapping around Beau’s calf tightly enough the monk swore a little. “Fuck, Jes, I’ll lose my foot!” 

 

The tiefling stifled a watery giggle and wiped her eyes, and the tail grip loosened. Only Yasha and Caleb were still standing, wrapped in their own hug. Caleb was about to ask if they should move, or begin shuffling them that way himself. 

 

Yasha was less worried about communication, shifting her grip a little lower and just lifting Caleb like a doll and carrying him to the couch. The wizard considered protesting as she arranged him on her lap, but couldn’t find the energy. It was something he so desperately needed. Something they all needed. Caduceus tugged the pair of them in closer and Caleb let himself lean into the barbarian woman’s side, wrapping an arm around her. 

 

They hadn’t known her well when she’d been taken. She’d been a virtual stranger, someone who showed up for a few days at a time and then disappeared. They didn’t actually know much more about her now, but she was one of them. One of the Nein. Reaching over with his other hand, he scooted Jester’s feet into his lap so that Yasha could edge closer, pressing against Caduceus from shoulder to hip. 

 

Her shoulder to his hip. His actual shoulder was still level with her head. 

 

Nott shifted around a little so she was pressed against his knee, glancing back with worry in her eyes. Both remembered a conversation they’d had so, so long ago. 

 

They kept the Nein together. Not because they were useful, or because they’d invested time and energy in them. Because they loved them. 

 

Caleb still couldn’t find the words to say it, emotion choking in his throat, but he nodded. 

 

Ja. It was true for him too. 

 

The silence that descended this time was soft, comfortable and warm, pressed as close together as they could get. Caduceus wormed an arm out to wrap it around Fjord, pulling the half orc as close as he could get. Beau shuffled around until she was almost straddling his lap, both legs tucked out of his way but otherwise facing him so she could keep an arm around Jester and keep him in the cuddle. 

 

It was not a graceful shuffle, and Fjord had to stifle a snicker as he moved her foot out of the way. 

 

“If you wanna look at me so bad you might as well just put your feet over my shoulders,” he teased, patting her knee. Beau’s eyes narrowed. 

 

“Do you think I couldn’t?” The barest hint of a wicked grin tugging at her lips betrayed her real feelings, and Fjord raised a brow. 

 

“Do you wanna try?” 

 

Beau was drawing her knees back to do it when Caduceus leaned away a little. 

 

“As the one likely to get kicked in the head, I’d like to request that you do that later?” 

 

Fjord and Beau exchanged questioning looks, then Fjord shrugged. 

 

“I mean I’d kinda like to see you do it just to prove you can.” 

 

Beau snickered and settled back to sit. 

 

“If you can hold my ankles I could use you to do sit ups.” 

 

“I can hold your ankles,” Yasha called from the other side, leaning forward just a little. Beau froze, a sappy smile stealing across her face. Fjord snickered. 

 

“While they’re over your shoulders or mine?” He called back, earning him another punch from Beau. Yasha shrugged, leaning back to snuggle into Caduceus as best she could. His armour squeaked against her skin. 

 

Jester raised her tearstained face and managed a little smile. 

 

“You’re easier to hug when you’re not all armoured up.” 

 

Caduceus smiled back and pressed a soft kiss to her temple. 

 

“I wasn’t gonna make you wait.” 

 

“I think I could wait a bit now?” 

 

The firbolg glanced between the other two seated members of the Nein, hand coming down to rest on Jester’s hip now that she had leaned back a little. 

 

“Alright, if I could get a little space?” 

 

The entire rest of the Nein made derogatory or plaintive noises, but shuffled apart obediently, Nott scrambling into Caleb’s lap while Jester shuffled her way onto Fjord’s. At least four hands went for the armour straps on each side at once, Caduceus humouring them for a moment before swatting them all away. 

 

“You know, you could all get more comfortable too,” he pointed out, loosening his shoulder piece. “I don’t want anyone else’s armour jabbing into me.” 

 

It disrupted things a little more, the group pulling apart further for Fjord and Jester to discard their armour, Yasha to remove her bracers. Nott hopped down to the ground, turning to point up at Caleb. 

 

“Shoes and coat off too, I don’t want anyone sticking their hand in a pocket and getting bat shit everywhere!” 

 

Laughter helped, clearing any remaining tension from the air as Caleb groused theatrically and went to hang his coat against one of the other couches. The others followed suit in discarding their boots and cloaks, and the pile was about to reconvene when Jester paused and tugged at Caduceus’ sleeve. 

 

“Could you take this off too?” One pink brow rose at the question and she made a face, wiping tear tracks from her cheeks. “Not for anything special. You’re just... really soft.” 

 

“You are,” Yasha agreed with a slight smile, dropping back into her seat and holding out a hand for Caleb. The wizard considered suggesting they take advantage of this time to organise themselves a little more, then gave up and settled back into her lap. Yasha was very large and undeniably soothing. And maybe in need of more comfort than he was. 

 

Caduceus, meanwhile, had happily shrugged off his shirt and allowed Jester to snuggle up to his furred chest. She sighed softly, running her fingers through his fur and pressing her cheek to his chest. 

 

“Sorry if I cry on you more.” 

 

The firbolg made a dismissive sound and tugged her in closer, wrapping a large and soft arm around her shoulders. 

 

“That’s okay. It’ll brush out.” Fjord tucked himself up as well, and Beau paused to examine the layout before sitting this time. Caleb had spread his legs across Caduceus’ knees to take Jester’s back into his lap, and Nott had settled herself on his feet to cuddle up to Jester’s shoulder again. There was a little extra space on Caduceus’ damn long legs. 

 

“Fuck you’re tall,” she sighed, sitting sideways across Fjord’s lap and shuffling Jester back far enough to snuggle against her. It let her wrap an arm comfortably around Fjord’s waist and rest her cheek on his shoulder. Fjord’s arm settled comfortably around her waist and silence fell once more. 

 

Eventually Jester hiccuped her way to silence too, relaxing slowly into their group embrace. Beau watched her with a worried frown, rubbing a hand slowly up and down her back. 

 

“Do you wanna talk about it? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry like that. Or talk about it, actually.” 

 

Jester shook her head quickly, peaking back over her shoulder to give Beau a watery smile. 

 

“No, no... I’m okay. I’m sorry.” 

 

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Nott declared firmly, standing on Caduceus’ knees to wrap as much of Jester as she could reach in a firm hug. The tiefling stifled a giggle, wiping her eyes. 

 

“Maybe you should talk about it.” All eyes turned to Yasha in surprise, but the big woman was staring resolutely at the ceiling. There was a hint of tears in the corner of her eye. “It... it’s not good to bottle things up inside. It could help to talk about it.” 

 

Unsure, Jester glanced back over her shoulder at Fjord. The half orc shrugged awkwardly, giving her a wry little smile. 

 

“Can’t say I’m an expert.” 

 

Beau shot him a glare and he gave her a squeeze in return. Jester worried her lower lip for a moment then sighed, nestling back into Caduceus’ fur. 

 

“I don’t know what to say.” 

 

“You don’t have to know right away.” Caleb paused and cleared his throat, wondering where the tightness had come from. One purple eye emerged to look at him, and he did his best to smile. “You can just let the words come and see what happens. Or you can think about it for a while and tell us when you decide. We’re not in a rush.” 

 

A general murmur of agreement filled the room, and Jester turned enough to smile at him, mindful of her horn on Caduceus’ skin. 

 

“I think I could try that,” she agreed quietly, reaching out a hand to tangle her fingers with his. Caleb squeezed gently back, his thumb brushing slowly over the back of her hand. 

 

It was... nice. To have a moment of calm, of peace, when they were all together and, for the moment, not facing any lethal danger. They were in an actual palace, complete with sumptuous couch cushions and enough pillows for a devastating pillow war. 

 

But most important of all, they had each other. Jester closed her eyes, listening to the slow, steady beat of Caduceus’ heart from above her head. His short, fine grey fur parted easily for her tracing fingers, soft and plush even more than Sprinkle’s. Yasha was doing almost the same thing, leaning into the large arm around her shoulders to rest her cheek against the fur. 

 

Beau’s fingers crept just a little higher up Jester’s back to brush against Caduceus’ arm and he gave her a wry smile. 

 

“I don’t mind if you want to pet me, Miss Beau,” he told her plainly, entirely unembarrassed. Beau’s cheeks flushed but she took advantage to stroke her hand slowly down his arm. 

 

“It doesn’t bother you?” 

 

“Not at all. I like being touched by all my friends.” 

 

“You do give the best hugs,” Caleb volunteered, jumping a little when a large soft hand cupped the back of his neck. A tiny smile stole across his lips as Caduceus ran his thumb lazily up into his hair. 

 

Fjord squirmed a little in place, edging juuuust slightly closer. Close enough for his bare arm to brush against fur. Caduceus did his very best not to laugh. 

 

“I get the feeling I’ll be breaking out my brushes before the end of the night for the lot of you to groom me.” 

 

“I’m okay with that!” Jester chirped immediately, a broad smile lighting her face once more. It felt... right. Natural. Then she paused and snuggled in a little closer. “I don’t want to get up just yet though.” 

 

“You don’t have to,” Nott reassured her, stroking her fingers gently through the tiefling’s hair, worry still evident in her voice. Jester made a happy little trilling sound, leaning into the touch. 

 

“Maybe we can all do each others’ hair?” She suggested hopefully, glancing around at the three directly in front of her. Caleb made a face, gesturing to his own. 

 

“I may need a wash first. I am rather filthy.” 

 

Behind Jester, Beau snorted and shook her head. 

 

“Oh gee, I wonder why that could be.” 

 

A familiar, mischievous smile began playing around Jester’s lips. 

 

“You could probably use a bath too, Beau. You kinda smell.” She broke into giggles as Beau shoved her playfully. 

 

“Y’know I bet I could rub a lot of this off on you if I snuggled you hard enough!” She expected Jester to squeal, bolt, or shove her back. Instead the tiefling stilled and leaned back a little more into her touch. 

 

“I guess I could live with that.” 

 

More than anything else, that worried Beau. Fortunately Fjord covered it with a groan and an exaggerated sniff. 

 

“I wasn’t gonna say nothin’ but we’ve all been getting a little ripe. Think they’d mind if we all wanted to clean up a little before things go further?” 

 

“It might stop all the nose wrinkling,” Nott snickered, leaning over to give Caleb a good poke. “I’m pretty sure I saw the Bright Queen double take when we got close.” 

 

“I don’t think many people covered in poop get to her chambers,” Jester giggled. Beau grabbed her by the horn and tugged her head back for a noogie. 

 

“Maybe you all shouldn’t have been so happy to make us into servants then!” 

 

Giggling and wriggling, Jester soon gave in and fell back against Beau in surrender. 

 

“But you look so cuuuuute in your harnesses!” 

 

Both of which had been ditched as part of the undressing. Beau huffed and gave Jester’s cheek a last pinch for good measure. 

 

“You can wear mine if you like it so much, they’re so stiff!” The giggle she got for that was decidedly smutty and she shoved Jester gently back to Caduceus chest. Jester took advantage of the push to lean a little further, reaching out to boop Caleb on the nose. 

 

“What do you think, Caleb? Would I be a pretty slave?” 

 

“The prettiest,” the wizard agreed, catching her hand in his again to give her another gentle squeeze. “We can make you clean up all the poop.” A smile spread across his face as Jester tugged her hand away, making dramatic disgusted noises. If she was up to playing again... 

 

Well. 

 

It probably actually meant she was ass deep in repression. That was apparently the Mighty Nein way. 

 

But at least she knew she could talk to them if she wanted to. He paused, turning to frown up at Yasha. 

 

“Did you want to talk about what happened?” He asked softly. It still caught the attention of the others, all play ceasing to look up at the big woman. Yasha’s cheeks flushed and she glanced down. 

 

“I don’t... I’m not good at words.” 

 

Jester leaned forwards again, both her hands coming up to gently stroke Yasha’s cheeks. 

 

“That’s okay. When I find the right words I’ll come and tell you and we can talk about it together.” 

 

A small smile stole across the barbarian’s lips and she leaned into Jester’s touch, nuzzling one of her hands. 

 

“Okay.” 

 

“We are gonna have to talk about it though,” Caduceus reminded the group as a whole, glancing pointedly at Fjord. The half orc raised both hands in surrender. 

 

“Haven’t really had time, Deucey. It’s been one hell of a year.” 

 

“It has,” Nott agreed with a sigh. “It’s not going to get much better. I have to tell my husband his wife is a goblin now.” 

 

The group fell silent again, contemplating. Nott herself broke it, clapping her hands. 

 

“AND I have to tell him we’re heroes of the krynn empire now! This is going to be a fun reunion!” 

 

“If he wants to break up with you we can always go back to Assarius to see the minotaur,” Fjord added sneakily, looking innocently at the ceiling. Nott punched him in the knee. 

 

“I’m counting on you to be my wingman, cowboy!” 

 

He tossed off a salute, a lazy smile curling his lips. 

 

It had been one fuck of a year. And one fuck of a week. At least three fucks of a day. But at the end of it all, the Mighty Nein were still together, still alive and well. And who knew, maybe the Bright Queen’s favour would come in handy. 

**Author's Note:**

> HK: I realised I tend to stop writing cuddle puddles when they begin. Fuck that. Stay in the cuddle puddle. Live there forever.


End file.
